'Middle-step' homes fill a gap
| The Province |
Sunday, May 17, 2009
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The facts
What: Azure, 76 townhomes
Where: 2453 - 163 Street, Surrey.
Developer: Azure East and Azure West
Builder: Chysik Project Management
Sizes: Three to four bedrooms, from 2,651 sq. ft..
Prices: Starting at $499,900
Open: Presentation centre and two show homes open at 2453 - 163 St., 1 to 5 p.m., except Friday.
More info: www.azurehomes.ca
Trish and Graham Marrion have been searching for that elusive "middle-step" property -- something that's not too big, not too small.
But after selling their large family home last April, the Marrions soon discovered just how much they were asking for. That "middle-step" property didn't seem to exist. Not until recently, that is.
After a year of searching, the Surrey couple are now seriously considering purchasing a 2,650-square-foot duplex in the Azure development located in South Surrey's Morgan Height's neighbourhood.
"It's a really nice size because we've still got kids boomerang-ing back and forth so we need some size, but not so much that they'll never leave!" says Trish.
The Azure development consists of 76 townhomes clustered into two- or three-unit buildings.
All the homes are about 2,650 square feet and come with three-and-a-half baths as well as a finished basement.
Mark Lofthouse of L.A. Marketing, which is handling the sales, says the development is targeted at a variety of buyers, from young families or couples looking to move into a larger home to baby boomers looking to downsize.
"The beauty of this is we're not targeting one buyer," said Lofthouse. "But generally, they'll be 35- to 60-years-old and either a move-up buyer or a move-down buyer. And some will be first-time buyers."
This weekend marks the grand opening of Azure, which Lofthouse is predicting will garner a good turnout. More than 40 groups showed up to the V.I.P. open house last weekend, which resulted in four sales out of the 29 units available in phase one.
For the Marrions, it's not just the size that fits, but the details as well.
The 10-foot ceilings on the main floor allow for large windows and lots of light, something the couple were looking for after viewing too many dark and narrow townhomes.
All homes feature custom cast, concrete fireplaces and a 12-foot-by-12-foot patio. Thought has also gone into the smaller details, such as the six-inch baseboards and wood-trimmed windows.
The average price of $200 per square foot reflects the decline in building costs, noted Steve Andersen, of L.A. Marketing.
Since developers Azure East and Azure West bought the land a few years ago when the housing market was still booming, they've had to look towards labour and material savings to get the development priced for the current market.
Gus Cheema is the developer behind Azure East while Nirmal Sivia is the developer behind Azure West.
Cheema and Sivia decided to partner up when they realized the pieces of land they bought, which sit next to each other, were ideal for a mid-sized townhome project, said Andersen.
This is the largest project to date for the developers, who have previous experience in single-family and multi-family development in Abbotsford, Aldergrove, Maple Ridge, Langley, Mission, Pitt Meadows and Surrey. They have enlisted experienced builder Chysik Project Management to build the craftsman-style townhomes.
Azure is located in Morgan Heights, a new neighbourhood bounded by Highway 99 to the west, 28 Avenue to the north, 24 Avenue to the south and 164 Street to the east.
Surrey city hall forecasts that 5,400 people will eventually live in the area, which is home to new condos, townhouses and single-family homes.
Designed to be a sustainable community where everything you need is within walking distance, Morgan Heights is also home to chain stores such as Wal-Mart and H&M.
lsin@theprovince.com